


Tools and Weapons

by ErinPenwrite



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Discord: The Kingdom of Shipping (Dr. STONE), Fluff, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Gift Exchange, Hurt/Comfort, Illness, M/M, Mind Break, NSFW, Pining, Size Difference, TKSevents, The Kingdom of Shipping Christmas in July 2020, hand holding, non-con, stone war spoilers, technically bdsm?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:22:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25560520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErinPenwrite/pseuds/ErinPenwrite
Summary: Science is the great equalizer. Everybody has the opportunity to grow, and it isn’t limited to who is clever or strong. It’s only bound by the aperture of your own mind.
Relationships: Hyouga/Ishigami Senkuu, Ishigami Senkuu/Shishiou Tsukasa
Comments: 4
Kudos: 86
Collections: 2020 TKS Christmas in July – Gift Exchange





	Tools and Weapons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Animillion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Animillion/gifts).



> A shout out to my betas Dainonico and Cloud for putting my paranoid mind to rest! You guys are the best, and I owe one to you both!

Senku didn’t like the look on Kohaku’s face as she approached. He put down his task and went to meet her outside the lab.

“It’s the long haired man, Senku,” she said low. “He’s coming.”

He felt his blood turn to ice. With it came a whole host of repressed feelings, and he berated himself for letting them resurface. Ten billion percent illogical.

“We need to get you and Chrome out of here,” she urged, saving him from his thoughts.

He shook his head. “It wouldn’t matter. There’s no way in hell he couldn’t track us down at this point. Was there anyone else with him?”

“No,” she answered. “He was alone. I’m certain of it.”

That didn’t bode well either way. If Tsukasa was here, then there was something gravely wrong. He spun back to the lab and stowed away all the components for the phones. Kohaku called out, and when he looked back out to the clearing, there was Tsukasa standing at its edge.

Carrying a white flag.

Just what the hell was going on?

In a flash, the village warriors surrounded Tsukasa, but the man didn’t so much as blink. Their eyes met, and Senku could almost swear he saw relief on Tsukasa’s face.

“Stand down!” he called. Despite his order, he didn’t take his eyes off Tsukasa for a second. No, he instead had to choke down a wellspring of emotions that had no business cropping up now. “He isn’t here to fight.” He crossed the clearing, and Kohaku took a stance between them. But if Tsukasa really did intend to attack, she’d be as effective as a paper fan, and all three of them knew it.

“So,” Senku put on a front of bravado, arms crossed and a smug grin, “just why are you here?”

Tsukasa bowed his head, planting the flag beside him. The cold ground submitted like fresh turned soil, and Senku caught how even Kinro flinched. There was strength, and then there was a force of nature. The only things that kept the latter at bay were luck and knowledge.

It was the shadow over Tsukasa’s face that worried him more than anything. His arms fell to his sides. “What’s happened?”

Tsukasa sighed and looked back up to him. “Some of my people have fallen ill.”

He frowned, “And not just with some ordinary cold, right?” Honestly, he didn’t think viruses would make it through depetrification, but he had so few samples to observe to confidently make that call. It was still a possibility.

“They all have a cough,” Tsukasa said, “but some of them have begun spitting up blood.”

His jaw clenched. Pneumonia was likely, but healing a single person in summer was already a stretch. Treating multiple people in the dead of winter? Not impossible, but the odds of saving even one life weren’t good.

“You can’t really think we would help you,” Kohaku scoffed.

She was met with silence and barked over her shoulder, “You’re not seriously going to help him after what he did to you, right?”

“How many?” he asked.

Tsukasa let out a breath. “When I left, there were ten.”

He steeled himself. “…Taiju and Yuzuriha?”

Tsukasa closed his eyes, “Yuzuriha is among that number.”

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Kohaku snapped, raising her blade.

“Put your sword down, Lioness,” Senku sighed. “If he wanted me dead, he wouldn’t resort to cheap tricks.” He leveled Tsukasa with a heavy stare. “It’ll take some time. I can make an antibiotic, but without seeing them, there’s no way to guarantee that it will be effective.”

Tsukasa’s lips straightened to a grim line. “I understand.”

He stepped closer, ignoring Kohaku’s protest. “Well, what I don’t,” his cracked brow furled, “is how a bunch of muscled up meatheads and one of the healthiest people I know got sick under your watch. Just what the hell kinda conditions are your people living in?”

Tsukasa had the good graces to wince. “Near the miracle cave. There is a series of caverns stretching-”

He deadpanned, cutting Tsukasa off, “-Y’mean to tell me that you didn’t bother to build proper shelter?” He cursed under his breath, livid. “It’s a damned good thing I skirted death before, or else your whole little Empire would be long dead before they ever got the chance to become the old, jaded adults you fear reviving!”

A tense silence blanketed the clearing, but Tsukasa stood tall, taking the admonishment with solidarity. Soft as a breeze, he said, “You’re right, Senku.”

Senku could have been knocked over by a feather. After his shock wore away, he rubbed his neck and sighed. “What about you? Any symptoms?”

“No.”

“Good,” he spun on his heel. “Then make yourself useful. I’ve got medicine to make.” Regardless of any relief he felt at Tsukasa’s health, he glanced back with annoyance, “The only one who’s getting this for free is Yuzuriha. We’ll talk conditions of payment for the rest of your people once I’m done.”

Tsukasa nodded, and he continued back to the lab. Ten sick adults? Maybe more by the time he got the medicine to them. He had a hell of a lot of work ahead of him.

He knew once he got an assembly line going the work would go forward with greater efficiency than when he’d made the doses for Ruri. The process would still take days, and with each passing hour his nerves grew.

Ruri had ideal conditions. It was the middle of summer. Bath water was consistently being brought to her. The village provided food and fresh water. The same things couldn’t be said for Yuzuriha and the others. His only consolation was that Taiju was probably so hard at work that the oaf wouldn’t be able to get sick.

* * *

“We have Tsukasa out hunting the herd of boar that has been moving in,” Kohaku reported on the morning of the fourth day. “We’ve got some of the meat smoking like you showed my father.”

“That’s good,” Senku was only half paying attention to her. He only had a few more rounds to make!

“He wants to talk terms.”

“Your old man?”

“Tsukasa.”

He frowned. “I’m busy.”

“Then let Chrome take over.”

“He’s resting,” he said, shifting to the next stage in the process. “Besides, it’s almost done.”

“I can assure you,” Tsukasa’s voice drifted in from outside, “that I have no idea what chemicals you are working with or the means by which you are working with them.”

He paused, straightening his spine to fight the shiver that threatened to run down it at the sound of that voice and taking the opportunity to stretch. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It means that I have no hope of duplicating this formula,” Tsukasa said, lowering his head as he entered the lab, “which means that we can discuss conditions here and now, and you need not stop out of that concern.”

Ugh. Damn this man. Senku shot a glare, but went back to work. Why the hell did he have to fall for a perceptive idealist? It infuriated him. 

“I assume a truce? Access to the miracle cave? I can entertain those ideas, but I still won’t allow you to make weapons. Still, I gather you’ll want more than just a truce and a resource for all the obvious work you’re putting in.” Tsukasa took a turn around the lab, marveling at the glasswork. “I take it you’ve had to make this medicine for the villagers?”

Kohaku crossed her arms, but otherwise remained quiet, watching Tsukasa like a hawk.

“You managed to establish yourself as the chief in short order. I wasn’t expecting that,” the man continued. “With everything that you have here, with the power you have-”

“That’s enough,” Senku snapped. He put down his vials with care and grinned to cover his annoyance. “You can offer me something. The villagers had to repay me for my knowledge, and the only one among them that had anything resembling what you would recognize as payment offered it up freely. No, what I want from you and yours, Tsukasa, is not a damn truce.”

“Then, what do you want?”

“For your Empire to dissolve and join my Kingdom of Science.”

Tsukasa blinked. Then, he smiled. “Ask for something else.”

“That’s my price,” Senku drawled, picking at his ear. “You’ve been here nearly a week. The only weapons we’ve made are blades, and the lives of the villagers have improved substantially from when I first came.”

“What’s your point? You think that is enough to change my mind about the ones who corrupted the world in our time?”

“So, what’s your plan for next winter, hn?” He blew on his pinky, “Gonna come crawling back needing our help again?”

Tsukasa looked like he wanted to rip him limb from limb.

“The fact is,” he continued, idly inspecting his equipment, “everyone needs science, and the only way humanity will survive is through utilizing our knowledge and skills in a combined front.” He waved at everything around them. “You really think I could have done all this by myself? Ha!” he grinned, “I wouldn’t have made one millimeter of the progress I have since we parted ways if it weren’t for the help of every person here. Everything we do works to help us all in some way.”

“So you plan to use my people to your advantage?” Tsukasa’s eyes flashed. “That makes you no better than the ones that put us all under their thumbs.”

“And condemning them to die because you lack medicine is any less oppressive?” His temper was fuming. “You know what this medicine will cost, because even if you don’t voluntarily join forces with me, your people will.”

* * *

It seemed like nothing but a series of arguments had mounted since Tsukasa’s arrival, and now it was even surrounding how the man would leave. Senku sighed. Sure, he understood both sides of this particular debate, but Tsukasa and Kohaku had already gone round twice. If they went on any longer, they’d hyperventilate.

“It will be faster if he and I travel alone,” Tsukasa said with a cool tone even while it was obvious that he was gritting his teeth.

“I’m the fastest one in my village. Are you implying that I’m not quick enough for you?” Kohaku shot back, the venom in her voice poorly veiled.

“How about this,” Senku finally intervened, “I go with Tsukasa, and Kohaku, once Chrome has finished the preparations for the next batch, come and get me.”

That seemed to shut up both warriors, though neither of them looked pleased.

He snickered, “Besides, we’ve already determined that he’d be a fool to kill me a second time.”

Kohaku crowded him and muttered, “I’ll come for you in three days.”

He shook his head, “Make it five. It’ll take me time to treat all those people. And if Chrome is the capable apprentice I know he is, he’ll have more ready by the time you’re ready to leave without my guidance.”

Kohaku blinked owlishly before nodding.

“Don’t tell him I said anything,” he smirked. “It’ll go straight to his head.”

“My lips are sealed,” she smiled in return. “I’ll see you in five days.”

It took everything in his power to keep from sagging in relief. He didn’t think Gen’s trick of distraction would work, but maybe it helped that there was nothing but truth in his words. “Five days,” he confirmed, then stepped to the side to stand in front of the towering figure of Tsukasa.

“So, what I don’t get is how you’re expecting a skinny nerd like me to keep up with you,” he crossed his arms.

“I’m not,” Tsukasa said simply, then turned his back and knelt. “I’m going to carry you.”

Senku nearly choked on straight air. He sputtered, his arms dropping along with the jaws of everyone watching.

“If we leave now, we’ll be there tomorrow morning,” Tsukasa glared over his shoulder. “Get on.”

He rubbed his temples in one hand. The things he endured to help his friends. With a stain to his cheeks, he straddled Tsukasa’s back and tried not to cringe in embarrassment when his knees were locked in Tsukasa’s elbows.

They were off in a flash, cold air fast and stinging his face. All the supplies and medicine he needed fit neatly into the pouches on his waist, and Tsukasa wasn’t weighted down with anything but him. They practically flew with the speed Tsukasa was able to run.

With few stops, they continued until the sky began to turn. Between them, fire and food was prepared. They barely spoke a word.

Senku hadn’t given much thought as to how it would be to be alone with the man who’d taken his life. It wasn’t something he put much importance on. Either Tsukasa would repeat the action, which wasn’t what he knew either of them wanted, or his spine would stay blessedly intact. Still, it was better to muse on that; it was the only means he had to squash the butterflies in his gut.

The whole evening around the crackling fire reminded him of those months the two of them and Taiju had spent in his old hut, and not for the first time did he find himself quietly missing the presence of his friend. A breeze wracked his body with chills and he scooted closer to the fire.

He’d become so accustomed to living under a roof that the thought of a tent hadn’t crossed his mind either. He couldn’t hold that against himself too hard. There was a lot on his mind of actual importance. What if the sickness was something that couldn’t be touched by the sulfa drug? He had so little to go on, and he was by no means a doctor, even if he was the closest thing to one in the stone world.

His teeth rattled as the wind cut through him again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tsukasa shift. It wasn’t fair how the man could produce so much heat! Well, it made sense, factoring in muscle mass and just the size of him in general, but he couldn’t account for…

Well, he’d been plenty warm throughout the day as they’d sped through the forests.

While he was lost to his thoughts, he didn’t notice that Tsukasa had actually shifted to settle beside him until Tsukasa’s cloak was extended over his shoulders. Before he knew what was happening or could stop himself from reacting, he sighed in happy relief.

Tsukasa cleared his throat, “It’s going to snow soon.”

He sniffed at the air. Definitely smelled like it. There was that distinct scent that reminded him of winters with… Well, it wouldn’t do to get overly sentimental. He chalked his internal lapse in thought to the close mental relationship between scent and memory.

But, there were more pressing concerns, like the very real possibility of becoming a human popsicle by morning.

Tsukasa didn’t move, nor did he say another word. Senku stoked the fire with a stick and battled with his pride. Neither of them were going to say it, but the way to survive the night was as simple as sharing the only real resource they had at the moment. Heat.

Instead, Senku addressed another thing. “You’ve been running all day. If you expect us to make it there with good time tomorrow, you need to sleep.”

Tsukasa hummed, and he wanted to smack him. What was it with these apes thinking they could just hit the snooze on their exhaustion?! He jabbed at a log on the edge of the fire, putting it into the immediate path of the flames.

“You plan to stand vigil through the night?” Tsukasa asked.

“I can sleep when we aren’t facing a coming blizzard.”

Tsukasa was silent again. “You don’t trust me. I understand,” he spoke low. It was difficult to hear him over the wind. “I don’t have a right to your trust after what I’ve done, but please understand that the very last thing I want is for my people to die. At this moment, if you do, then so will they.”

Ah. Well, wasn’t that comforting? “So, I’m only worth keeping alive if I’m of value to you,” Senku grossed. “And, no. I don’t trust you a millimeter, but I also know that if I fall asleep and let the fire burn out, I’m dead for sure, and you’ll be losing your extremities.” He gave the larger man a sidelong glare. “Besides, you’ll be doing all the legwork, literally I might add, ergo, you are the one who needs rest.”

Tsukasa’s lips twitched into an almost smile. “Ah, of course. The logical conclusion.”

Senku stabbed the fire again and his stick broke at the end.

He wasn’t expecting to be encompassed by more warmth. Tsukasa rearranged the lion pelt so that it closed around them both, trapping the ends with their feet.

Senku opened his mouth to protest, but a look from Tsukasa had it silenced on his tongue.

“It’s the only shelter we have at our disposal,” Tsukasa said. “We can take turns keeping the fire, and when we leave out at first light, you can sleep on the way.”

“Ten billion percent not gonna happen,” Senku deadpanned. He handed over the stick which was now too short for him to reach the embers, but with Tuskasa’s long arms it wasn’t a problem.

“Then we’ll both arrive tired,” Tsukasa shrugged.

“What are you getting at, Tsukasa?” he blurted in annoyance.

That got him an actual smile. “I do trust you, Senku, enough to put the lives of my people and myself into your hands. I realize that I will never invoke the same from you, and I honestly expected to be refused outright the moment I set foot in the village.”

“Yeah, right,” he shook his head, watching Tsukasa expertly nudge the fire to keep it burning. “You knew I couldn’t if it meant risking my friends.”

“Had you, I would have brought them to you without hesitation.”

“Risking their health in the middle of winter when one of them is sick?”

“Getting them to the one person who could have even a hope of curing her.”

The fire crackled against the wind, silencing them both.

“And what then?” Senku muttered. “What will you do- will you actually do- after all this? What will you do if I am able to cure them all?”

Tsukasa said nothing, but Senku could feel the tension in the larger man. He could have felt it from a meter away, but being this close, hip to hip with the very man that had effortlessly snapped his neck, he could feel each muscle as it tightened and released.

“I cannot submit my empire to you, but,” Tsukasa added before he could get a word in, “I can abide an alliance.”

“Then it’s just gonna be a matter of time before one gets absorbed by the other,” he sighed. “That’s how those things always end up.” Their knees bumped as he turned to face Tsukasa. “What exactly is your plan? Years on down the road, your people are going to have kids and grow old. You’re not immune to aging either, despite how much of a damn goliath you are. You really expect these ideals of a world controlled by the youth to land on the people that helped to found your empire? Assuming it lasts beyond this winter, who is going to take over when you decide to throw in the towel? The next strongest meathead who happened to catch you on a bad day and takes you down? That’s just gonna lead to exactly what you’re so against.”

“And you expect me to believe that science offers a clear and distinct path to achieving peace?”

“Yes!” He found himself breathless and panting in outrage. “Science is the great equalizer. Everybody has the opportunity to grow, and it isn’t limited to who is clever or strong. It’s only bound by the aperture of your own mind.”

“You fail to see the clear danger in that sort of mindset, Senku,” Tsukasa’s tone darkened. “How do you think weapons of war were developed?”

“How do you think dynamite was developed?” he shot back. “It was a tool first, not a weapon.” He extricated himself only so far as to point out Tsukasa’s clenched fists. “And those were tools before you learned how to throw a punch.”

“Those are entirely different things.”

“Not in application.”

“You’re justifying weapons.”

“You’ve trained yourself to become a weapon!” Senku snapped. Tsukasa’s jaw clicked shut. “No one awake and alive right now can hold a candle to you. We all know that, but science puts us on more even footing.”

He hadn’t realized he’d been leaning in, gesturing in the ever diminishing space between them until he unintentionally rapped his knuckles on Tsukasa’s chest.

The touch brought them both back from their argument. The fire was threatening to dwindle under the unrelenting winds and the chill was beginning to set in. Senku shivered, and Tsukasa prodded the fire back to life before wrapping them both back into the lion pelt.

“I…” Tsukasa began, but then held his tongue.

“Yeah.” Senku wasn’t certain, but he thought he had an inkling of what Tsukasa was going to say. Something along the lines of ‘I don’t think we will ever see eye to eye on this.’ And, sadly, that was right.

* * *

Dawn broke, bleak clouds masking the sky. The blizzard had come and gone, blowing itself out late into the night. The land was blanketed in fresh snow, and Senku was honestly impressed by how well Tsukasa managed the alteration to the terrain.

The dull glow of the sun had brightened to mid-morning when they arrived on the outskirts of the Empire. Tsukasa brought them to a halt, glancing around as he set Senku on his feet. There was a downturn on the larger man’s lips, and Senku didn’t like that.

“Problem?”

“Something is wrong here,” Tsukasa murmured.

An arrow shot between them, stabbing through the snow and lodging solidly into the frozen ground beneath. Before Senku could get a definitive look at it, he was swept into Tsukasa’s arms, and they dashed into the shelter of the trees.

“They mistake us or something?” Senku looked over Tsukasa’s shoulder. He couldn’t spot anybody in pursuit, but then he didn’t have Kohaku’s freakishly good eyes, either.

He didn’t get a reply until they were high in the branches of a proud old tree. “Ukyo wouldn’t have fired on me without reason.”

Senku spotted the very arrow that had been shot at them clutched in Tsukasa’s hand from beneath his knees. There was a scrap of smooth leather wrapped around the shaft and tied off at the feathers. He glanced up at Tsukasa before taking it from him.

Unwinding the strap, the inside revealed a crude map and a message etched into the arrow stock itself.

Hyouga coop. ill are safe.

Senku could feel the tension mounting in the arms that held him, and for a moment he feared that he’d be crushed with Tsukasa’s rage. That didn’t happen, and had Senku not been in Tsukasa’s arms, he wouldn’t have noticed a tell on the man at all.

“Hold open the map,” Tsukasa spoke evenly.

Senku did, taking the chance to study it as well. It was obviously of the Empire, but there were a few details that Senku wasn’t familiar with. A path was marked, and one place was circled.

Without so much as a word, Tsukasa leapt into even higher branches. The map suddenly made more sense. It was drawn with Tsukasa’s arrival in mind.

Around the main structure that housed the Empire was a grove of trees. It cradled one side all the way up to the structure itself before being cut off by harsh rocky ground.

“I won’t be able to leave you behind to scout ahead for dangers. There are too many of my people with keen senses, and they’ll catch you,” Tsukasa said grimly.

Senku nodded, “Kinda figured that was the case.” The arrow striking deliberately between them had spoken of skill, especially when he considered how rudimentary the bows they could have made would be.

Once they were back on the ground, Senku internally groaned. For all his travels, he’d never grown accustomed to riding in or on anything that wasn’t a machine. A full day of, ugh, riding Tsukasa was taking its toll. He blushed at the thought, glad that Tsukasa was facing away as he… mounted again. That was not where his thoughts needed to go. Ever, much less during a dire situation like this.

Tsukasa shifted him in his hold before taking off again. Senku had to hide his face in Tsukasa’s back to keep low hanging branches from smacking him in the face. He was glad for the longer sleeves of his winter gear, but his legs were getting scratched as Tsukasa took them through the brush on the far edges of the Empire.

He lost track of where they were, but they were soon outside a cave. There was the sound of coughing, barely audible from outside. Tsukasa slowed, and they emerged from the tree line. Tsukasa put him down, held a hand up to keep him from moving ahead, and took in their surroundings. They made their way silently to the cave, and he stepped where Tsukasa did, difficult as it was considering the man’s size and stride. 

He was surprised by the amount of light within the cave. On closer inspection, he saw that much of it was made of dead vines and foliage, letting in a glow of light through the layer of snow above. It was also blessedly warm. They rounded a bend, and the low murmur of Taiju’s voice hit Senku hard.

A pelt was hung as a curtain, and when Tsukasa pulled it aside, Senku was struck again. There were pallets everywhere; a small fire was crackling at the center of the room, more of the daylight streaming in from above. There, moving between person to person, was Taiju, looking… tired. The man with stamina to spare was finally meeting his match with, damn, thirteen patients now.

When Taiju finally looked up, his face was washed with relief. Then came the waterworks. His eyes welled up, but he caught himself before letting it go further. Senku carefully navigated around the patients and knelt beside his friend.

“Good to see you too, big oaf,” he gave a tight smile.

“Senku,” Taiju choked back a sob, “I’m trying- I’ve been trying to-”

“You’ve been doing exactly what they need, keeping them warm, dry, and hydrated,” he put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I need to figure out what they’ve come down with, but I may be able to treat them.”

“What can I do to help?” Taiju asked in a rush.

He smiled in earnest, “Help me sit up Yuzuriha. I need to listen to her lungs.” Trust this oaf to bull past exhaustion, but he knew it would only be a little while longer before he needed to let Taiju finally get some rest.

He caught Tsukasa staring passed him and followed his gaze. Statues. So many, all of them adults covered in cracks. They lined the back wall of the cave. He glanced back to Tsukasa with a knowing smirk and moved to catch up with Taiju.

Yuzuriha looked terrible, but she was as relieved as Taiju. Senku crouched, taking in her obvious symptoms. She smiled at him weakly. “It’s good to see you,” she rasped.

“I’d had something a lot flashier in mind for when we all met up again,” he grinned at his friends. “Good job on the super-secret mission, by the way. I knew you could do it.”

Yuzuriha nodded, visibly fighting the urge to cough.

“Now, I’ve got one more for you,” he said. “Don’t die.”

Her resolve showed in her brow as she nodded again.

“Think you can sit up for me?”

She reached for Taiju’s hand before he’d even finished the question. Pulling a small glass from a pouch, he had her do the same test he’d done for Ruri all those months back. It sounded exactly the same. He and Taiju laid her back down to rest, and in zero time flat, she was out.

“Taiju,” he turned his attention, and his friend straightened up. “What is your water source?”

“The river, just west of here,” Taiju said.

“Have you been boiling it?”

“I’ve been taking chunks of ice and melting them.”

Well, that wasn’t the best, but it was better than nothing. “From here on, only serve the sick water that you’ve boiled. We don’t need some opportunistic parasite or bacteria taking advantage of everyone’s weakened immune systems.”

“Right. Boiled from here on. Oh!” Taiju held up a finger, “I’ve been boiling the broth I’ve been making!”

“Good work. Now, I need you to gather some more water. I’ve brought medicine with me, but things will get worse before they get better if we’re dealing with what I think we are. We’re gonna need all the water we can get to keep them hydrated.”

Senku went straight to work, assessing what tools were available. After his glassworks lab, all the primitive ceramics sent his mind reeling. This was gonna be a chore.

What he hadn’t been counting on was the constant eyes on his back. From across the cave, he caught Tsukasa’s gaze fixed on him, expression unreadable. Well, he didn’t have time to worry about crushed statues. He had live patients to help, but the only thing that took Tsukasa’s attention away was the arrival of… Well, Senku soon gathered who it was.

“Ukyo,” Tsukasa greeted the man. Senku feigned idle interest when, in truth, he wanted to know the exact situation.

Ukyo carried himself like a trained soldier. That alone was surprising and begged to question why Tsukasa would ever revive him. “I don’t have much time,” he spoke softly. “Hyouga showed his true colors the moment you left. A couple days after that, Homura returned, and most of the people turned to his side.”

“That side being?” Tsukasa sounded rightfully pissed, though it wasn’t directed at Ukyo.

“Survival of the fittest, or his twisted perversion of an already skewed philosophy,” Ukyo said. He gestured to the sick with a jut of his chin, “He tossed out anyone caught ill. Taiju and I managed to get everyone in here without Hyouga or anyone else finding this place.”

“How did you find it? I didn’t even know this place existed.”

A flicker of a smile appeared on Ukyo’s face before fading back to careful neutrality, but not before Senku caught it. “Yuzuriha had been working to reconstruct broken statues, hiding her work here. She offered it up to shelter everyone.”

Tsukasa spared Senku a glance before pressing Ukyo for more. “And you? Hyouga thinks you are loyal to him?”

“So long as I keep my head bowed, he doesn’t suspect a thing. He does know you are back, but he doesn’t know where you are.” Ukyo tipped his cap. “I had to explain my arrow from this morning.”

Tsukasa frowned, “And you weren’t followed?”

A sly smile was the only response.

“Who is still willing to stand against him?”

“I’ve noticed a few, but if there are more, they are far more quiet about it. Homura is entirely his pawn, however. She’s the one I’m most worried about, and if she spots anything, it will be known to Hyouga within minutes.”

“We’ll be careful,” Tsukasa said.

At that, Ukyo nodded, waving a hand to Taiju before slipping out.

Senku frowned, measuring out doses. Well, that certainly put things into perspective. It didn’t help that as the day progressed, the snow on top of their canopy of dead foliage was melting from both the heat of the sun and the fires they were tending to keep everyone warm. This was not a defensible position, but not only that, if those sick stayed here, they wouldn’t have a millimeter of a chance at surviving, medicine or no. What was more was that Tsukasa knew it as well, if the pensive furl in the man’s brow was anything to go by.

But where the hell were they going to move thirteen sick people while maintaining stealth and keeping them from keeling over? The only way Senku saw to resolve this was retake control from Hyouga and move everyone back into a, while still ten billion percent less than ideal, drier and warmer cave with better air flow.

“Sure would be nice if we had some gunpowder right about now, wouldn’t it?” he jeered. “Great equalizer, and all, especially when you’re outnumbered and out matched.”

“Senku!” Taiju squawked before taking a stance between him and Tsukasa.

“Am I wrong?” Senku dug in his ear. “All we’ve got against an army of thugs is the three of us, a double agent, and thirteen sick and… oh, yeah, possibly wounded, too. I’ll hafta add that to your tab, Tsukasa.”

The tension between him and the strongest high school primate was thick enough to cut, and he could see Tsukasa’s knuckles turn white.

“Senku…” Tsukasa glowered, taking a step and pushing Taiju aside as easily as moving an obstructing branch, “the three men that accompanied Hyouga to the village,” he said slow and even. “Did you kill them with your science?”

“No,” Senku tilted his head, removing the finger from his ear. “I warned them about the toxic gases coming from a natural spring. The winds were strong enough that day to move the gases from their reservoir down onto the mountain path.” He didn’t shy from Tsukasa’s roiling fury. “We found them days later at the base of the tree they’d climbed. They were at a safe elevation when I left, and by that point, the storm was beginning to die down. If they’d stayed in the tree, they’d have lived. What happened to them was not the fault of me or any of the villagers.”

The rage wracking Tsukasa diminished, and the man turned away. “Hyouga, then,” he said, his voice low and deadly.

“If I hadn’t already suspected that, I definitely would now.”

* * *

Between Tsukasa and Taiju, basic necessities were acquired with no one of the Empire the wiser. The first round of medicine was dealt, and Senku had the rest divvied out for the next several days. All they could do now was try to keep everyone warm.

Senku stretched his arms over his head with a yawn. It had been a long week, but he might actually be able to rest for a little while before the next dose needed to be given. He needed some fresh air, and he didn’t have to go far outside the relative shelter of their pseudo cave in order to get it.

The sun was low, the sky free of clouds. The air was crisp, and he drank it in. Never in ten billion years would he have thought that Tsukasa would have sought out his help, and that this whole situation was occurring at all was surreal.

“I suppose I should thank you,” he heard Tsukasa say from a few paces behind him.

“For what?”

Tsukasa stood shoulder to shoulder with him. “You could have refused to help anyone but your friends, turned me away.” The man’s voice was soft and low. “And you would have had every right.”

Senku was at a loss. He thought he’d had Tsukasa pegged down, but there were certain colors and qualities that were only now coming to his attention. The genuine concern Tsukasa had for his people, the honest anguish he felt for the men he’d lost, and… Senku wouldn’t claim proficiency in social endeavors, but he was almost certain that this was Tsukasa’s attempt to apologize for Hakone. Something still didn’t smell right.

“What are you really getting at here, Tsukasa?” he asked, no humor, no masks.

Tsukasa regarded him, and he met that gaze head on. In the dying light, the blazing glow on the horizon swept over the man, and Senku was momentarily struck by the power and vulnerability warring in Tsukasa’s eyes.

A polite smile formed over Tsukasa’s face, and the moment dissipated. “I simply wanted to thank you.”

Senku raised a cracked brow. “You remember that conversation we had about flirting and scheming? Because there is toeing the line, and then there’s whatever this is.” He gestured between them.

He couldn’t read Tsukasa’s expression in time to discern a thing, and the smile was replaced by an air of confidence. “Scheming, if you must know,” Tsukasa answered. “I have no intention of abandoning my people to Hyouga’s corruption, but I may need to press upon you another favor.”

“I don’t work for free,” Senku shrugged. “My price is the same as before.”

“You won’t get compensation for the first if my Empire has been stripped away from me.”

Shit. He couldn’t fight the logic in that. Begrudgingly, he sighed, “So what did you have in mind?”

“Time is of the essence,” the man said. “He knows you and I are here, and if we stall, he will sniff us out.”

“So, a preemptive strike,” Senku agreed, but there were only so many options. “How do I play a part in this?”

“If we disable Hyouga’s kudayari, then we take away a significant threat.”

“The only way we’d be able to do anything ahead of time without dodging the very same spear would be to sabotage it like Gen did when you sent them to the village.” Senku frowned, “It’s possible that we could get Ukyo to do that, but Hyouga doesn’t strike me as the type to let himself be tricked the same way twice.”

“Before I left, I noticed him crafting several more and stashing them all around,” Tsukasa hummed.

“So, something else, then,” Senku crossed his arms. A thought struck him, and he raised two fingers in front of his face to narrow in on it. “This structure is a network of caves, and you confirmed that there is a breeze running through them, which means an opening on the other side.”

“A backstab?” Tsukasa didn’t sound enthused.

“No. A pincer. We’ll move in from both sides.”

“How? You aren’t exactly a fighter, Senku.”

“Who said anything about me fighting?” He grinned, “We’ll smoke him out.”

“Oh?”

“You know the terrain here. Think you could locate the breezeways?”

“Easily,” Tsukasa rubbed his chin. “I’d tracked one such breezeway down not long ago.”

“Then, I’ll leave that part to you. Taiju and I can deal with the firewood,” Senku scratched his neck. “Try to be back before dark. We should have things ready by then.”

With a nod, Tsukasa wasted no time, taking off to circle around the complex. Senku smiled. He couldn’t help but watch the man go, but it wasn’t long before he lost sight of him through the trees. 

He turned to go back inside. He needed to get Taiju and check that everyone was alright. There was a soft crunch of snow, and he nearly turned around to check if Tsukasa was coming back already, but just as he did, he felt a blow to his head. It all went dark.

* * *

Everything ached. Senku hadn’t felt this crumby since nearly blowing himself and Chrome up in the lab. Or maybe the time he’d tried to keep pace with Chrome and Kohaku on the way to find Sulfurina. Nah, this was like when he, Taiju, and Yuzuriha had hoofed it to Hakone.

It all came back to him. He didn’t bother feigning sleep. Someone had knocked him out. Not hard enough to cause damage, apparently. He was grateful for that, but he was gagged and bound. Even for how waifish he was, there was no wriggling his way out.

There was a dull light from outside… wherever he was. It felt like an actual cave, the air damp and stale. So, he was quartered off from the main path? Likely. Not that whoever captured him should have bothered. He wasn’t going to get one millimeter like this.

He managed to prop himself up. The relief of proper blood flow was only tainted by the pins and needles stinging every nerve in his arms. His ankles were hobbled, too. Well, there was one thing he could say for his captor, they were thorough.

A shadow fell over the glow illuminating the ground outside. By the footsteps, there was only one person coming, and soon enough, their silhouette blocked all but the tiniest sliver of light.

“I didn’t figure it would take long for you to wake up,” Hyouga’s voice pierced through the darkness.

He felt the air shift as Hyouga knelt before him. A quick tug, and the gag was out of his mouth. He tested his jaw, and Hyouga continued.

“I was hoping to speak with you alone since our encounter at the village, though I’ll admit, I didn’t want it to be under such conditions.”

He was in no place to hurl snark, but he couldn’t help his kneejerk reaction to deadpan. “Y’know, we could have just talked instead of you knocking me out.”

A breath of laughter puffed over his forehead, “If I’d taken any longer, that oaf Taiju would have interrupted, and I couldn’t have that.”

He frowned. He was the only one allowed to call Taiju that. A twinge of anger bled into his judgement. “More like you were afraid of Tsukasa coming right back.”

“If I understand the situation correctly, the two of you hate each other,” Hyouga said. “Do you really think he would save you after already taking your life once before?”

If he’d been asked that a week ago, he wouldn’t have believed for a second that Tsukasa would allow him to keep breathing if given the option. Now, though? Even with their conflicting stances on humanity, he couldn’t deny how effortless working with him was. There had been that brief length of time all those months ago before Tsukasa had revealed his intentions that everything ran smooth. The past few days with him harkened back to then.

Still, Tsukasa was right. He was too sentimental; he couldn’t let anyone go. And somehow, Hyouga had figured out that weakness, too, but with one fatal error. Hyouga still thought the animosity ran deep between them. Senku knew he just might be able to use that.

“I thought so,” Hyouga said with relish. “But, fortunately for you, I have no intention of letting your mind go to waste.”

That made Senku’s mind screech to a halt. “What? Why?”

“You’re a valuable asset, Senku,” Hyouga’s voice went smooth. “Those villagers would have been utterly lost without you, and for that matter, you are the one who figured out how to make the revival fluid. We would still be petrified if not for you.”

Oh. “So, you want me to work for you?” Senku wanted to groan. “Yeah, that doesn’t interest me a millimeter.”

“And why not? You know that if Tsukasa regains control, he’ll kill you at the earliest opportunity. He doesn’t see the benefits of your science,” Hyouga shifted, and Senku could feel the man’s body heat coming off him like a damn radiator, “but I do.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I highly suggest you don’t do that,” Hyouga’s breath tickled the hairs on Senku’s neck, “or I’ll have to find other ways to convince you.”

Dread sank into Senku’s stomach the instant he felt Hyouga’s lips meet his skin. He jerked back in revulsion, but Hyouga snatched a fist full of hair and yanked him back. He gritted his teeth against the pain.

“I didn’t want to do this, Senku, but you need to know exactly what will happen should you refuse me,” Hyouga growled in his ear.

A hand rubbed the inside of his thigh, pushing up the layers of warm leather until the only thing between him and the air was his thin loincloth. Hyouga ripped it away, and he tried to get free, but the bindings held true and Hyouga’s hands remained firm.

When he continued to struggle, he found himself on his chest, his face mashed into the ground. “If you don’t stop that, I’ll take away any chance of pleasure you might glean from this experience,” Hyouga’s tone left no room for argument.

Damnit, he was helpless. Completely helpless, and he had no way of knowing if rescue was a possibility. He swallowed hard. He had no means of escaping, either. He forced himself to even his breathing, to coax his body to relax. He wasn’t so ignorant as to not know what was coming, and the only way he’d make it through this was to let Hyouga have his way.

“That’s good, Senku,” Hyouga said. “Who knew you could be so amenable?”

“Not that I have much choice,” he snapped before thinking. Fingers wedged their way into his mouth, and Hyouga pinned Senku down with the length of his body.

“Bite,” Hyouga warned, “and I’ll make you hurt. Now suck.”

Senku didn’t doubt that threat. With every fiber of his being, he wanted to chomp off the digits holding open his jaw, but he choked back his pride and sealed his lips around them.

“That’s better,” Hyouga crooned. “Show me what that mouth of yours is actually made for.”

Damn. Damn! Knowing and experiencing were two entirely different things, and Senku couldn’t stop himself from trembling. His sob was garbled, and Hyouga laughed.

His knees were forced apart by Hyouga’s thigh, and he tried to think of anything else. He didn’t want to know how long it was going to take Hyouga to have his way with him, so instead of counting, he thought of his lab, the village, the hut he’d built while he’d been alone.

A flicker of a memory invaded his thoughts from that time. He’d been alone for so long that when he finally had someone, and then two others, with him, he finally came to terms with the fact that he needed people. But that wasn’t all. He recalled those cursed feelings he’d long since abandoned clawing their way back into the foreground of his mind.

A sudden pain brought him back to the moment. Hyouga bit his ear before growling into it, “I won’t let you distance yourself from this. I want you to remember everything I’m about to do to you, and then the next time, you’ll know the consequences.”

He gagged as Hyouga’s fingers met the back of his throat. He whimpered; all he would have after this was over was his mind, and now it was his only refuge. Like hell could he let Hyouga take that from him too!

Instead of bat them away like he’d done so many times before, he grasped his long buried feelings and let himself get lost in them. Why the hell he’d been so drawn to Tsukasa he could only attribute to an inane bastardization of magnetism. They were polar opposites, after all, and that only seemed to add to Tsukasa’s appeal.

Instead of Hyouga, he replaced every touch, the fingers on his tongue, the - oh, god - the hardness pressing into the small of his back with images of Tsukasa. He hollowed his cheeks, picturing himself on his knees in front of that lion of a man, taking pleasure in tasting that massive cock.

A moan escaped him, and he felt Hyou- No. He felt Tsukasa’s laughter rumble through him. He’d never allowed himself to delve into these sorts of fantasies, and now that he was, the floodgates couldn’t be closed.

The fingers tore away from his lips and then pressed to his hole. One wormed its way in, and he gasped. While his hole was being touched, it had been unreasonably good only to be followed by sharp pain with the intrusion.

“Relax,” the voice was all wrong, but he could still pretend the soft command murmured to him came from Tsukasa’s lips. “Submit, and I’ll make you feel better than you ever have in your life.”

He focused on each muscle in his body in turn, concentrating on releasing tension, and then the pain dissipated. Another finger joined the first, and he moaned with a shaky breath.

Just thinking of Tsukasa holding him down and spreading him open was enough to make his body react. His mind tried to remind him that what he was imagining was all an illusion, a flash of realization that it was Hyouga causing him to cringe. It took every ounce of will he possessed to tamp that thought back down, masking each sensation with the thought of the one who’d stolen his heart.

The fingers were replaced with something bigger, something blunter. His chest heaved as he fought away panic. Tsukasa. He just had to think of Tsukasa, and he’d make it through this. But at the very instant his hole was invaded, he couldn’t trick himself anymore.

Hyouga thrust inside him, and he screamed into the cold ground. Hands latched onto his hips, yanking him back. It was too much! He was going to be ripped in half! The pain blinded him as Hyouga sheathed himself, holding him in place as he writhed.

“I’ll give you one more chance, Senku,” Hyouga groaned. “You can either join my side willingly, or I will make you live to regret it.” He drew back and snapped his hips forward, prompting Senku to scream again. “What’s it going to be?”

Senku’s vision flashed, blood rushing in his ears. Pain seared up from the base of his spine. He had to get out of this, had to run, but damn his body, he was too weak, too small in comparison to the man taking advantage of him.

Hyouga pulled him off the ground by his hair, spearing him in place on his lap. “What’s your answer, Senku?” Hyouga dragged his tongue over Senku’s ear, “Or do you like being treated this way?”

Senku shuddered, fear and revulsion warring inside him. What was worse was that the attention to his ear had felt good, had helped him to loosen around Hyouga’s girth.

When he still remained silent, Hyouga bit his neck.

“Yes!” he cried. Immediately, his cheeks were on fire, and Hyouga was chuckling through the bite. Damnit! He didn’t have a choice, and if agreeing got him through this faster, then why not? “I-I’ll join your side,” he groaned.

“Good,” Hyouga kissed over his wound, reaching in front to wrap a hand around his hardening cock. The effect was instantaneous. All the pain flickered into something dreadfully satisfying, and he found himself panting in need.

“See how much better it is to work with me?” Hyouga began to move again, and Senku moved in tandem as much as his bindings would allow, cursing himself as he did it. He knew all too well that it was a natural biological response, but nothing about this was rational, so neither was he.

Hyouga bucked into him, and he had no resistance to it now, not with that fist pumping his length in time with each thrust. A rush was welling up inside him, threatening to burst.

Fuck, if only he hadn’t sent Tsukasa out! If they’d had more time, then… Oh, but that brought him back to thinking of Tsukasa. How easy it would have been for Tsukasa to do all of this to him instead. Hell, he would have welcomed it! His lion driving into him, striking that lovely cluster of nerves inside him.

“Gnngh!” Oh, god, every thrust was bulls-eyeing it. He moaned low behind clenched teeth as he was brought closer to the brink.

“That’s it,” came a murmur in his ear, and he could nearly believe his illusion now that his veins were swamped in hormones. “Come for me, Senku.”

A thrust, and his insides were drenched. His nerve endings sang, and he came crying, “Tsukasa!”

His cheek grinded into the cold hard ground.

“You’re his fucking slut, after all, hnn?” Hyouga sneered. “Even after he snapped your little neck?”

A foot landed in the center of Senku’s back, pushing him into the dirt. He yelped in agony, and Hyouga only dug in his heel deeper.

“Before morning, Tsukasa will be dead at my feet along with the sick ward you’ve been running.” Hyouga added a little more weight. “You’re mine now, Senku, and together we’ll rebuild this world so that only the supe-”

A crack reverberated against the stone walls, and suddenly Senku didn’t feel Hyouga’s foot pressing him down. Hyouga landed beside him in a slump.

“Senku!”

Fuck, Senku knew he was losing it now. That had actually sounded like Tsukasa. His bindings were tugged and loosened and ripped away. He was drawn into warm arms, held tight, as if his tormentor actually cared. He was too weak to fight, even with his limbs free.

“Taiju, in here!” said his phantom Tsukasa. He wanted to retch. He didn’t want anyone, much less his oldest friend, to see him like this. It was so dark, though, it wasn’t like it was easy to see.

“You found him!?” Well, that was definitely that oaf’s boisterous voice. He wanted to cry, his chest heaving.

The glow of a torch flooded the room, but when he looked toward the source, he could only register the fury in Taiju’s face.

“Calm down, Taiju. I need you to take him out of here while I deal with Hyouga.”

He was passed from one set of arms to the other, the torch passing the other direction. His eyes followed it, and he nearly choked. He wasn’t hallucinating. Tsukasa was right there with an unconscious Hyouga crumpled beside him.

Seeing everything suddenly made it all real. Senku buried his face in Taiju’s neck and gagged as sobs ripped from his throat.

“Take him out of here, Taiju.”

He felt Taiju shift, the ambient light fading as his friend carried him away.

* * *

Senku couldn’t sleep. Dawn broke to find him sitting outside, wrapped in furs. Tsukasa hadn’t returned during the night, and no one from the Empire had come seeking retribution for Hyouga. Senku couldn’t let himself linger too long on thoughts like those for the same reason he couldn’t sleep; he needed to distance himself from the source of his… trauma, and letting his mind wander would simply be letting instinctual fear responses overwhelm him. He had to think on other things.

The sick were reacting just as he’d suspected. Pneumonia. It was incredible how fast it could harm even those in good health, how quickly it could come on. It would be a hefty recovery for all of them, but once they were moved to a proper environment, they would fare far better.

Taiju had fallen asleep between him and Yuzuriha. Well, that was a kind description. The man had passed out after cranking himself to eleven for who knows how long. And Senku imagined that seeing the aftermath of a close friend being hurt seemingly irreparably for yet a second time took its due toll.

A quiet laugh formed a misty cloud before his lips. He’d really have to make it up to his friends for worrying them so much. That wasn’t to mention the task he’d placed on the two of them before they’d parted ways all those months ago.

The soft crunch of footsteps in snow made him turn his head. Tsukasa really did cut a striking figure, and the red of morning complimented every noble feature the man possessed. Still, that didn’t prevent the hollowness that loomed over him like a storm cloud.

Senku scooted over wordlessly, and Tsukasa sat beside him. Neither of them spoke until the sun had risen over the tree line, and even then, it was hushed.

“He isn’t dead.” Tsukasa leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “No one wanted his leadership, but they knew they couldn’t defeat him, even with their skills combined.”

Senku frowned and said nothing. He wasn’t entirely certain what he wanted to become of Hyouga. He’d… He’d forgiven Tsukasa, he realized, but he’d also known there was a way out. This, though? He felt sick. He never wanted to lay eyes on Hyouga again, if he could help it. Even so, he couldn’t imagine taking the life of one of the few people actually alive and depetrified. That wasn’t his call to make, even if everyone who mattered to him said it was.

Tsukasa looked at him. “This is twice now that I haven’t upheld my word.”

He met that gaze for the first time in what felt like ages. His heart swelled in his chest, both from his feelings for the man and his embarrassment at imagining all those things about him. He turned his attention back to the horizon. “Your word?”

“I told you the first time we met that you would never have to worry about the fighting ever again,” Tsukasa spoke softly, “and I have not only failed to protect you, I have… Senku, you were dead, and by my own doing, no less.”

For all that Senku felt his heart swell, now it was being crushed. “Damnit, you’re noble.”

“Hn?”

“I only let that situation come to pass because I knew I had an out,” he elaborated. “What I don’t get,” he flicked his eyes briefly on that lion man’s cracked face, “is how this situation is in any way your fault.”

“I should have been there to stop him.”

“And he would have done exactly what he did and waited for the one moment you were distracted to spirit me away.” He sighed, “And don’t give me any nonsense about how you should have seen this coming,” he heard Tsukasa’s jaw click shut and snickered humorlessly, “He had your trust up until the moment I told you what happened to your men.”

“If I had-”

“’If!’” he straightened, finally looking at Tsukasa for longer than a glance. “There are a lot of ifs, and not a one of them is worth a millimeter of consideration.”

He might have been mistaken, but he could have sworn that Tsukasa had just gulped.

He rubbed his neck, sealing his eyes from that notion. “If Taiju and I hadn’t stumbled upon your statue, we’d have been lion chow, and none of this would have happened. But, it all did,” he drew the furs back onto his shoulders, “and now we have to deal with that fact.”

“Senku,” Tsukasa shifted in front of him, and there was no other place for Senku to direct his attention. “You will not have to worry about defending yourself again. That will be my task. Do you believe me?”

Senku was floored. “But, what about my science? My plan to revive everyone?”

A sad smile crossed Tsukasa’s face. “I can’t stop the corruption of man, but I can prevent the abuse of power. I have that ability, and therefore the obligation.” He reached for Senku’s hands. “Nothing you are striving for is coming from a place of malice. The least I can do is discourage those that would twist your work for their own gains.”

For the barest moment, Senku thought he would jerk away from any touch, but this was one he welcomed, one he’d wanted. Tsukasa’s hands were warm around his own, and he was more than content to let them linger.

“I spoke with everyone after I caught Homura trying to free Hyouga, and we’re all agreed,” Tsukasa continued. “We want to join your Kingdom, Senku. Would you have us, even after all this?”

The wind was knocked from Senku’s lungs. He composed himself quickly, clearing his throat. “Like I’d say no,” he grinned. “That’s what I wanted from the start.”

Tsukasa breathed a sigh of relief, and Senku could see the weight lifting from the lion man’s shoulders.

Despite himself, he was curious enough to look this gift horse in the mouth. “Can I ask you something?” Tsukasa nodded, and he leaned in just a fraction, “What exactly changed your mind?”

Tsukasa turned his gaze down to their hands, still joined in Senku’s lap. He started, forming the beginnings to words a few times before finally uttering, “You called for me.” He squeezed gently, looking imploringly into Senku’s eyes, “It should have been obvious before, but as soon as I heard you call my name, I… I knew I’d made a grave mistake, and I wasn’t going to allow it to happen again.

“Hearing your voice was the only way I found you. But, Senku,” Tsukasa inched closer, and even though they were practically nose to nose, Senku was only flustered by his own feelings gnarling in his gut. “I have to know. Why? Why call out to me? There are so many others you could have-”

Senku watched him wet his lips, his own breath catching in his throat. “D-Damn you for not just being some muscle-brained idiot.”

He closed that final gap, clutching the front of Tsukasa’s cloak and sealing their lips.

* * *

After three months and the onset of spring, the sick ward was finally empty.

“Which means now the real work can begin,” Senku cackled. He already knew his Spartan Crafts Club was on board, but Tsukasa pulled him away.

“Which means you can finally take a moment's rest.” Tsukasa tipped down and murmured in his ear, “Or are we going to have a repeat of what happened after the completion of your phone project?”

Senku shuddered. Tsukasa had gone to great lengths to ensure he’d stay in bed by making him too weak in the knees to walk. It was… Crap, it was a hard choice, because he was ten billion percent excited to get started, but the promise in Tsukasa’s tone sent a thrill shooting through his veins.

Tsukasa hummed, “I see.” He scooped Senku up and began carting him away.

“Big brother!”

They halted, and Tsukasa pivoted toward his little sister, waving gleefully at them from across the way.

“Love you, big brother!” Mirai sang, and then was promptly tickled by Suika wielding a fox tail.

They watched the kids giggle and chase each other before Tsukasa turned his attention back to Senku.

“Yes, I think you deserve a nice long break so that I can reward you for all your hard work,” Tsukasa smirked.

Senku grinned, weaving his hands into Tsukasa’s hair. He shifted within the man’s arms and stole a kiss.

Tsukasa ran, and Senku clung to his shoulders with a laugh. In no time at all, they were inside the old hut Senku had built, now bolstered and repaired, and sprawled onto the floor.

Senku’s clothes were the first to go, and he gasped with every touch Tsukasa laid upon his body. The man’s hands were everywhere, followed by lips and a swath of hair. He tipped his head back, letting Tsukasa trail down the column of his throat. Tsukasa enveloped a nipple as he passed, tweaking it between his teeth before drifting lower.

If Senku were of the mind to think on it, he’d have been embarrassed by just how quickly Tsukasa could garner a rise from him. As it was, once Tsukasa had taken him into his mouth, he lost all his higher brain functions.

“Ts-Tsukasa!” His spine arched off the mats; the firm hold on his hips was his only tether to gravity. Tsukasa swallowed around him, and another shameless cry wrenched free. “Yes! Please- haah- please don’t stop!”

A low chuckle reverberated over the head of his cock, and he reached out for anything, needing to hold on for dear life. How the fuck was Tsukasa so good at this?!

Light suction was added, and Senku could see the slight hollow to Tsukasa’s cheeks. Oh, and those dark eyes that could trigger him to spontaneously combust were burning as they met his. He pulled a hand from his hip, drawing two fingers into his mouth. He felt Tsukasa’s moan before he heard it, and his eyes fluttered closed.

He tried to mimic what Tsukasa was doing to him, but it was nowhere near possible to compare his paltry attempts against the skills of an apparent master! He was near to bursting, and they’d barely begun. 

Tsukasa spread his legs open and bobbed over his length. He didn’t consider himself a small man by any stretch, but in comparison to Tsukasa, he was miniscule. Not to mention that he was so skinny that one of Tsukasa’s hands could nearly wrap around his thigh! He gasped when he felt the man do just that, holding him in place while he writhed. He was so close!

At once, Tsukasa popped himself off, a line connecting his lips to the tip of Senku’s cock. “Don’t you dare stop now,” Senku groaned. “I was right there!”

“Then it won’t take long to get you right back there,” Tsukasa smiled. 

Senku found himself twirled around, his back to Tsukasa’s chest. His thighs were forced to close around that massive cock. Tsukasa rubbed it between them, and Senku moaned as he felt it slide beneath his own. “Oh, hell, you aren’t playing fair!” 

“You’re the one not playing fair, Senku,” Tsukasa’s rich voice grazed his ear. Lips and tongue worked over the seldom touched skin of his neck before circling back to his nape, “keeping me from having my way with you at all hours of the day when you’re just so damned addictive.”

He trembled with the sensations Tsukasa was drawing forth. Held up by Tsukasa’s body alone, he squirmed, trying to find more friction. Eventually, he raked his own hands up his chest, pulling at his nipples in turn while grinding himself as best he could against Tsukasa’s shaft.

Tsukasa hummed low, “You’re going to be the death of me.” He looked back, and his lover’s eyes were blown in arousal. He licked his lips, watching them as they followed the movement.

The tip of a single finger pressed on his hole, and he moaned open mouthed. Subtle prodding made way for deeper exploration, and he sank himself onto thick digits as Tsukasa marked his neck as claimed territory. 

“I’m not going to let you touch the floor until we’re done,” Tsukasa lifted him by his legs with one arm, hugging him to his chest and plunging his fingers in again and again. Senku cried out, squirming as his last vestiges of control were stripped away and reveling in it. It felt incredible! He didn’t have to concern himself with anything but receiving everything Tsukasa felt so inclined to give.

Tsukasa reclaimed his fingers, and Senku groaned in protest, “Damnit, you tease!”

He couldn’t move in any way productive, and Tsukasa simply lifted him a fraction higher. “Patience, Senku.”

The fingers returned, cool and slicked with lube. When the hell did Tsukasa grab that? His mind blanked as three slid in with no resistance, a low keen prying its way from his throat.

“That’s more like it,” he heard the laughter in Tsukasa’s voice and only felt more turned on. 

“F-Fuck, Tsukasaa!” He tried to move with him, but he was pinned in place. All he could do was take it! A fourth slipped in, and he cried out, “Please!”

Then, he was empty again.

“Tsukasa!!” His eyes went damp. He needed him so bad!

When he felt the slicked head of Tsukasa’s shaft probe at his ass, he nearly cried in relief! The tip popped in, and then both Tsukasa’s arms were wrapped around his legs, bringing him down at a snail’s pace.

Oh, god, he was suddenly glad for the extra time Tsukasa always took to prep him, even if it drove him to the edge of sanity in the process. Tsukasa continued to bury himself, but part way, he took one leg in either hand and spread them wide.

Senku couldn’t stop himself. He watched as Tsukasa’s cock sank deeper and deeper, and his breathing turned to desperate panting. For as affected as he was, he could feel Tsukasa growling in poorly constrained need. When he was finally seated in Tsukasa’s lap, they were moaning as one. 

Tsukasa lifted him up only a fraction as slow, hooking his chin over Senku’s shoulder to watch as well. Senku gasped as he was lowered back down, and then the frenzy began. In an instant, it went from a slow and even grind to rapid bouncing.

In Tsukasa’s clutches, he was nothing more than a being of pleasure, and at that moment he couldn’t think of anything he wanted more. Thrust after thrust pounded into him as he was dropped onto Tsukasa’s heavy cock.

“Play with yourself,” Tsukasa growled, and oh, fuck, did he ever want to follow that command. He reached down and took himself in hand, fucking his fist with each buck of Tsukasa’s hips. If anything, they only seemed to get faster. Tsukasa tipped them back, and Senku was seeing stars! 

Each ramming thrust struck that lovely cluster of nerves. “Oh- oh, god, Tsukasa, yes!” He spilled over his knuckles, spurting up onto his belly, and a split second later felt a gush fill him as Tsukasa released inside him.

The hold that had been pinning him in place before softened into an embrace, and Tsukasa laid them out over his cloak. They oozed with the afterglow, Tsukasa withdrawing himself with all reluctance. Senku rolled over, resting his head on Tsukasa’s arm and nuzzling into the man’s chest. 

He felt Tsukasa pet his hair, “What was your next project you were so excited about?”

He snuggled in, basking in Tsukasa’s scent. “A sailing vessel. I think it’s about time we expanded the Kingdom.”

“By how much? All of Japan?”

“If I’m gonna revive everyone, then,” he smiled, “I was thinking more along the lines of the whole world. You game?”

Tsukasa tipped his chin and kissed him, “To the ends of the Earth.”

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to join the Dr. Stone shipping server! All ships are welcome!  
> We have lots of events scheduled (including gift exchanges), RP our fave ships, share headcanons, etc!  
> [Click here!](https://discord.gg/56zb4Cs)
> 
> I was introduced to TKS after reading a fic by Animillion, and it's the most welcoming fandom community I've encountered. So, thank you, Anai! Hope you liked this gift!


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